An official release notified that Bharat is affirmative about the export of non-basmati white rice in different quantities to Comoros, Madagascar, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, and Kenya. Notably, the export of non-Basmati white rice was prohibited on July 20 to ensure domestic prices and domestic food security. The exports to these countries are permitted through National Cooperative Exports Limited, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade informed in its notification late December 7 evening
Previously, Bharat allowed the export of such a variety of rice to Nepal, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Republic of Guinea, Malaysia, Philippines, Seychelles, UAE and Singapore.
While initially amending the rice export policy, DGFT maintained that the export will be allowed on the basis of permission granted by the government to other countries to meet their food security needs and based on the request of their government.
West African country Benin is one of the major importers of non-basmati rice from Bharat. Other destination countries are UAE, Nepal, Bangladesh, China, Côte D’ Ivoire, Togo, Senegal, Guinea, Vietnam, Djibouti, Madagascar, Cameroon, Somalia, Malaysia, and Liberia.
In late August, Bharat also introduced additional safeguards by way of imposing a minimum floor price on exports of basmati rice so as to prevent exports of non-basmati white rice, which was already under the prohibited category since July. Recently, the central government extended the 20 per cent export duty on parboiled rice till March 31, 2024, an official notification said. Rice partially boiled with husk, is called parboiled rice.
Initially, the duty was introduced on August 25, 2023, and was due to remain effective till October 16, 2023, aimed at maintaining adequate domestic availability and checking its price. Bharat in September 2022 banned the exports of broken rice and imposed a 20 per cent duty on exports of non-Basmati rice, except for parboiled rice amid concerns about low production due to a fall in area under the paddy crop. It later lifted the ban in November.
ANI